If Justice Department staffers were just floating a trial balloon by talking to reporters on background about potentially banning gun possession for those who identify as transgender, that balloon was quickly popped by major Second Amendment organizations. The National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, Second Amendment Foundatiion, and National Association for Gun Rightse are just a few of the groups that have come out swinging against the proposal, which first emerged late last week.
The DOJ has yet to officially comment on the remarks by unnamed staffers, other than to say that the agency “is actively evaluating options to prevent the pattern of violence we have seen from individuals with specific mental health challenges and substance abuse disorders,” but that “no specific criminal justice proposals have been advanced at this time.” President Donald Trump hasn’t commented on the idea either, so it’s unclear at this point where the idea came from and how much backing it might have within the administration.
It is clear, however, that trying to advance that ban would lead to significant pushback from 2A groups across the country.
“Our advice to the ATF, DOJ, and FBI is to stop chasing headlines on the back of the Second Amendment and focus on preserving and protecting gun rights so that law-abiding Americans can defend their loved ones from violent nutcases, criminals, and gang members,” Dudley Brown — president of the National Association for Gun Rights, which has cast itself as more conservative than the NRA — said in a social media post.
Second Amendment legal experts argued the potential ban would bypass due process and violate the Constitution. A person can be stripped of their firearms only after a judge declares them mentally “defective,” according to federal law.
“I don’t buy that this is real. In the off chance it is, it would be blatantly unconstitutional. And also without any legal basis,” Kostas Moros, director of legal research and education at the Second Amendment Foundation, said on X.
Other gun rights supporters worried a potential gun restriction from the Trump administration could create a precedent for Democrats to impose stricter gun laws once they eventually regain the White House.
“Once government starts deciding which Americans ‘qualify’ for 2A rights, the door is wide open for future anti-gun administrations to ram through Red Flag gun confiscation,” Texas Gun Rights, a gun advocacy group in Texas, said in a social media post.
I disagree with the NRA on this one. Transgenders are mentally disturbed and refuse to be responsible citizens. They are highly unpredictable.
if you cant figure out whether you need to stand or sit to pee, then you should be in a mental institution! not running around with a gun! and surely not elected to any office making decisions that impact normal people!